Our Boat



After parting with the Jeanneau 43DS 'Alcheringa' we had sailed the Mediterranean in for a couple of years at Licata in Sicily we returned to Australia in late 2013. We then began the search for the boat we plan to spend as much of the rest of our lives on as possible cruising the western Pacific and South East Asia. During five months of scouring the internet, walking on, looking in and crawling through heaven knows how many yachts we kept coming back to a ketch we had seen very early in our odyssey. She was a full keeled, heavy built ketch constructed by Whitby Boatworks in Ontario, Canada back in 1982 and launched under the name 'Indigo'. Since then she'd only had two sets of owners. The most recent, Jens and Allyson, had sailed and lived on her for well over 20 years traveling throughout the Caribbean and Pacific. 

Her bespoke hardtop cockpit enclosure, Leisurefurl in-boom furling mainsail and below decks spaciousness impressed us very much the first time we saw her in the marina at Brisbane's Manly boat harbour but were determined not to rush into buying the boat we also plan to keep for decades. However, we found ourselves comparing every other boat we looked at to 'Indigo'. Was it as roomy, was the cockpit as secure, would it be as good a blue water boat, was the equipment list as extensive, etc, etc? It took a while, but we finally realised we were simply procrastinating. We admitted to ourselves that 'Indigo' was the boat we wanted and after fairly speedy negotiations she became ours in the first week of March 2014.

Her registration was changed from the USA to Australian vessel O/N 861047. As part of this process her name also had to change as no two vessels on the Australian Register can have the same name. 'Indigo' was already taken. 'Dreamtime', the name we chose years ago when we first decided on pursuing a life of cruising was likewise already claimed. We considered naming her 'Alcheringa', the same as the previous boat which is an Australian aboriginal word meaning 'The Dreamtime'. However, after much deliberation, her name became 'Our Dreamtime' with all due homage paid to King Neptune in the change process.

Our talented son, Rod, did a great job of the lettering renaming 'Our Dreamtime'
and even produced a very cool brass plaque to go on our mast box below.



Our Dreamtime under spinnaker



We looked at what seemed like hundreds of boats but kept coming back to this
ketch in East Coast Marina at Manly Harbour.



Her centre cockpit, hard cover with full enclosure, furling mainsail,
davits, great layout and living space ticked most boxes on our wish list.



The cutter rig ketch sail plan is incredibly versatile and her 'Leisurefurl'
in boom furling mainsail makes here very easy to sail two handed.
All lines lead to the cockpit making her a very safe boat.

Plenty of Storage Lockers

The previous owners even threw in the two person kayak which was a great bonus.





The enclosed centre cockpit is very roomy and comfortable.

We have since added a cocktail table for sundowners 

V-Berth ready for guests

The V- Berth after redecorating 

The new cushion covers Karen made for the lounge

Matching covers in the dinette area

Salon is well appointed with drop down table big enough for entertaining

The new cushions bring the area to life

The new look to the bench tops makes a huge difference 

Shelves where the microwave was

Fitted racking so everything is at easy reach

We are very impressed with the great galley layout and particularly the well
insulated big fridge and separate freezer. But the look was a like tired.

Karen makes great use of the Galley. If you love food cooking or eating it you should checkout her
Our Galley Blog

The new look salon cushions

out with the old cream covers and in with the new blue

Always a great place to curl up and read

A selection of Karen's artwork now on the cabin walls

The forward facing Nav station is very serviceable.



Aft state room with king size bunk is a lot bigger than the photo shows

Adding some nautical stripes to the aft cabin

The Whitby Ketches have two well equiped heads (bathrooms) both can be
Ensuite for each cabin or the forward head can be used as a day head when guests aren’t onboard

This is the ensuite to the aft cabin

The forward head has dual entry, one from the cabin and the other from the 
Companionway to the V-Berth



The 80hp Ford Lehman lives in an engine room you can actually move around in.



Classic lines of the full keel traditional design



Celebratory bubbles on the day she became ours.



Swim platform retracts against the stern

Maxprop folding propeller another excellent feature for a cruising boat

Moored at Rivergate Marina in the Brisbane River after having her hull painted.

We flew our asymmetric for the first time on the dock to see what it looked like.

We took this shot of 'Our Dreamtime'  anchored off Moreton Island on our first
trip out on her after the purchase. 

A friend of Karen's sailing on 'Quintessa' snapped these shots of us sailing 'Our Dreamtime' in Moreton Bay off Brisbane recently. We were very appreciative because it's always hard to get photos of your own boat under sail.

Whitby 42 Our Dreamtime under sail off Moreton Island

Our Dreamtime's Hardtop

We've been asked by some other Whitby/Brewer owners to post some detailed photographs of the boat's cockpit hardtop and enclosure so here they are. It was added to the boat by the previous owners while in New Zealand. We believe it was done in the early 2000s.

From the masthead prior to fitting solar panels on the cockpit roof

Side on showing how far back the fibreglass roof comes back and is met by the sunbrella fabric back to the stainless arch which holds the mainsheet block. In hindsight, we would run the fibreglass roof all the way back to the arch to hold more or large solar panels.

Interior head room is 1.8m (6ft)

Access to aft deck is on the port side through zip down clear.

We have fitted two 150 and a 55 watt panel on the cockpit roof which fit neatly around the hatch.
 Note the full length grab rail each side.

Mainsheet, preventers, main halyard, topping lift and Liesurefurl furling line all come through from the deck to clutches.

Zip down clears make the cockpit weather proof. Fantastic boon for living aboard.

Cockpit speakers are mounted to the ceiling each side. The 12v fan can be directed to blow down through the hatch into the galley or to extract hot air out.

Our 150 watt panels slightly overlap the sunbrella .

Centre window opens. All others are fixed.

Solar panels fit neatly around the hatch. We set them in line with it's front edge so there was still room to stand on the cockpit roof if needed.

Rear companionwa

Click on this link for a great article about the history of the Whitby 42 design and the closely related Brewer 12.8 and 44.

Specifications

LOA: 42′ 0″ (12.80m) Not including anchor rollers and davits

LWL: 32′ 8″ (9.95)

Beam: 13′ 0″ (3.96m)

Draft: 5’ 0″ (1.5m)

Keel: Full

Bridge Clearance: 49′ 0″ (14.95m)

Displacement: 25,500 lbs. (11.6tonnes)

Rig: Cutter Rigged Ketch

Sail Area: 875 sq. ft. (81.3 sq. m)

Designer: Edward Brewer

Year Launched: 1982

Builder: Whitby Boatworks, Ontario, Canada

Engines

Ford Lehman Diesel – 80 HP

Tanks

Fresh Water Tanks: 150 Gallons (570 litres)

Fuel Tanks: 170 Gallons (645 litres)

Accommodations

Number of cabins: 2 (sleeps 7 total)

Number of heads: 2

Headroom: 6′ 6 ” (1.98m)

Products we have used on Our Dreamtime

The Galley Renovation 

This counter top paint after 2 years is still wearing well. We used it in the heads (bathrooms) and galley. We would certainly recommend it. The only thing we did different was we put extra clear coats of the following over the painted surface and we lightly sanded in between each coat.

You can find the full details of the product here ▶️ https://amzn.to/3K7cwKM

We used this top coat in satin. It is designed for painted prefaces, particularly furniture so we thought it would do the job and it has stood the test. You can find more details on the product here ▶️ https://amzn.to/3WK0v5t

The tiles we used in the galley are stick on. Saving weight and the chance of cracking this high quality vinyl tiles fool most who come onboard. They are easy to apply, easy to clean and make a big difference to your look. You can find out more about these tiles here ▶️ https://amzn.to/3QOlvUB

Head (Bathroom) Renovation 

The forward head really needed a shower curtain to protect the timber doors and the full length mirror located on one of the doors. It was really hard to choose as there are so many great designs. I ended up going for one with neutral colours as well as nautical stripes so I can change the towels around and have a different look. Here are a couple that I loved.

▶️ https://amzn.to/44IM7ML

▶️ https://amzn.to/4bmJLWn

We could find no better paint than this it has really kept our Heads (bathrooms) clean. Easy to apply, easy to clean and no mold 👍 The details of the paint can be found here. ▶️ https://amzn.to/44NOuxy

Mirrors can add glamour to any room but a bathroom it is essential that they are also functional. I couldn’t resist adding a porthole mirror to our ensuite. Find the mirror details here ▶️ https://amzn.to/4bJOukL

Just because it does a dirty job doesn’t mean it should look cheap and nasty, this stainless steel toilet brush will keep things clean while looking stylish. Toilet brush holder - https://amzn.to/3V0RmE6

Handholds are essential throughout the boat and no more so in the head. The one we fitted into our ensuite is no longer available after 2 years, this is the closest we have found that is both strong, functional as a handhold and towel rail. Grab rail towel rail combo - https://amzn.to/4bgWObI

If there is one place you need ventilation on a boat it is the head (bathroom) it is a constant wet area, with, showers, toilet, towels and swimwear drying you need to try and ventilate as best you can. Running electrical exhaust fans drain power constantly especially if they are running 24/7. We were so happy when we found these exhaust fans, they can run 24/7 without needing power from our house batteries and they work quietly. Solar powered exhaust fan - https://amzn.to/3V501pl

A deep sink is so important to have in the head. When you are at 25 degrees the last thing you want is water sloshing everywhere out of a shallow narrow sink. Head sinks are used for washing of clothes and a heap of other jobs so having a good sized one helps. Stainless Steel Sink - https://amzn.to/3WK2Vkz

The tap is also important the last thing you want is some flimsy tap that breaks on you. One sold arm that can swivel when needed is the ultimate. 

Tap https://amzn.to/4ajw4WQ

The little added extras is where you can show your personality. Where you need hooks you can use decorative cleats, anchors, turtles, mermaids any thing that fits the rest of your decor. Here are a few ideas

Cleat ▶️ https://amzn.to/44HzzoV

Anchor ▶️ https://amzn.to/4bFMk5E

Octopus ▶️ https://amzn.to/3K5wMMM

Turtle ▶️ https://amzn.to/4bjzcU0

Storage is always an issue onboard a boat. We use hanging bags like these in many places but the head is a place we find them so useful. Daily medication, hair bands, toilet paper, sunscreen, you name it they can hold whatever you need for the ready. Underway they are no problem they just gently sway back and forth on their hooks. ▶️ https://amzn.to/3V0Trjo

Our forward head walls are laminate for us to change them from the eggshell cream to white was going to be quite an expensive exercise not to mention the waterproofing of the new product. There was nothing wrong with the laminate. I just didn’t like the amount of cream. So I looked at many things before I settled on decals.  A number of different compass roses were applied which broke up the eggshell colour and added some fun. I particularly liked this one but it was a bit to modern for our boat, but maybe it’s right for you ▶️ https://amzn.to/3yw5vQQ